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Per a five-year agreement, Hi-Lite performs weekly friction tests and visual inspections rubber removal is executed as needed. To supplement the airport's in-house maintenance program, Aerostar contracted Hi-Lite Airfield Services to manage the friction on SJU's runways. Recent equipment investments at SJU include two FOD Bosses and the $50,000 restoration of a sweeper owned by the ports authority. "We try to take care of any smaller issues with the asphalt or concrete before it becomes a major issue," he explains. "And with our experience in operating airports, we'll make sure that we maintain those runways and taxiways."īonilla characterizes Aerostar's maintenance and repair strategy as holistic and proactive.
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"We have professional project administration capabilities that we bring to the table," he states.
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About $150,000 is spent monthly to maintain runways, taxiways and ramps. "We're investing heavily in this project," Bonilla says of Aerostar's commitment to airfield improvements.īonilla characterizes Aerostar's airfield maintenance program as "very aggressive." Last year, he notes, SJU spent more than $1 million repainting Runway 10-28 because of previous improper care.
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Prior to that, the airport experienced a lot of downgrades and restrictions because of obstructions and interferences, With that project complete, SJU has two fully functional instrument landing systems for the first time since the mid '90s, notes Bonilla. Roughly 400 trees have already been removed near Runway 8-26 because they were impacting the instrument landing system glideslope signal. A project to study the runway object-free area and airfield drainage, however, was recently approved for Airport Improvement Program funding. Another project addressing tree encroachment into the runway object-free area has been put on hold because of a disagreement regarding the removal of trees between the Army Corps of Engineers and FAA. Other airfield improvements at SJU include navigational aid upgrades, such as the installation of FAA's Medium-Intensity Approach Lighting System with Runway Alignment Indicator Lights (MALSR). AVCON contracted Robert Boyer, Ph.D., to perform the analysis results of the studies are pending. "FAA, in conjunction with Aerostar, has hired a forensics pavement engineer to look at existing conditions of pavement on the airfield," Wilson states. That taxiway has since failed and is now closed, reports Ismael Bonilla, Aerostar's chief operating officer. Improvements were funded by a $22.6 million FAA grant and completed in mid-2013.Ī taxiway repaving project also concluded after the transfer. By extending the runway 400 feet to the west and relocating the east end of the runway, planners created room for a standard 1,000-foot safety area for the entire runway. "Most of the pavements on the airfield are in need of some sort of improvement," he relates.Īmong the mid-stream projects Aerostar assumed is a runway safety area initiative on SJU's longest runway, 8-26. While some of the work is related to the age or deterioration level of existing pavements, other stems from prior maintenance practices. With the transfer of sponsorship complete, the private operator has a "fair amount of catch-up" to accomplish on the airfield, reports Wilson. Other Airfield Project Consultants: CHM2Hill Kimley-Horn Operations Safety Aesthetics Contract: Hi-Lite Airfield Services Private Operator: Aerostar Airport Holdings Location: Luis Munoz Marin Int'l Airport (San Juan, Puerto Rico) Projects: Airfield Improvements & Maintenance "Synchronizing the accounting process between the FAA, PRPA and Aerostar had never been accomplished before, and the learning curve was steep for all parties," he says. Aerostar received its operator certificate from the FAA in February 2013 and is part of the administration's Privatization Pilot Program.Īssuming control and payment from the Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA) for airfield jobs already underway was a challenge, notes Andy Wilson, Aerostar's chief development officer. These projects, combined with other planned improvements, are expected to complement the private operator's goals for continued growth at the northeastern Caribbean airport.Īerostar is a joint venture between Highstar Capital and Aeropuertos del Sureste that signed a 40-year lease agreement in July 2012 with the Puerto Rico Ports Authority. When Aerostar Airport Holdings took over the day-to-day operation of Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, it also assumed responsibility for several in-process and future projects, including airfield infrastructure upgrades.